| II Cor. 8:1-7 "Excel in this Grace of Giving" |
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| Written by Rev. Don Lee | |
| Saturday, 06 October 2007 | |
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A little background: Some scholars argue that Jesus never intended to start a new religion but rather tried to redefine the Hebrew faith in light of fulfilled Messianic prophecy. This perception of Christianity as a movement within Judaism would gradually change as non-Jews came to believe in Jesus. These new converts were exempt from the requirements of the Mosaic Law. But not all elements of Israel’s faith would be rejected. The offering continued to be an act of worship that proclaimed God’s faithfulness, revealing a people celebrating a love relationship with God. Our scripture reading comes from Paul’s 2nd letter to the church in Corinth, chapter 8:1-7. I invite you to listen for the word of the Lord: 1And now, brothers, we want you to know about the grace that God has given the Macedonian churches. 2Out of the most severe trial, their overflowing joy and their extreme poverty welled up in rich generosity. 3For I testify that they gave as much as they were able, and even beyond their ability. Entirely on their own, 4they urgently pleaded with us for the privilege of sharing in this service to the saints. 5And they did not do as we expected, but they gave themselves first to the Lord and then to us in keeping with God's will. 6So we urged Titus, since he had earlier made a beginning, to bring also to completion this act of grace on your part. 7But just as you excel in everything—in faith, in speech, in knowledge, in complete earnestness and in your love for us[a]—see that you also excel in this grace of giving. Prayer: God, we love you; we praise you. All that we have comes from you. We rejoice in your presence. Amen. The October edition of Money Magazine is titled, “Road Map to a Rich Life.” It discusses money management and gives practical advice about:
We live in God’s world. Its one of the most fundamental claims of the Christian faith and one that contradicts one of the earliest claims we make as children… “mine.” Even before we can form words, claims Ron Weber, a baby’s cry says, “ME, NOW!” This kind of self-absorption is necessary for an infant’s survival and something they should grow out of in time. So why is “ME, NOW!” the theme of just about every commercial on TV? The Road map to a Rich life begins with the affirmation, “We live in God’s world.” None of this is ours. It’s all “on loan.” Like the main characters from the TV series “The Riches,” grifters who assume a family’s identity and lifestyle, none of this is ours! This is God’s world and we are stewards of what has been entrusted to us… at least if you take Jesus at his word (see the parable of the talents Matthew 25:14-30). So what we do with what we have is a kingdom issue! The book of Judges closes with these provocative words: “In those days, there was no king in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes.” Judges 21:25. For me these words conjure up the lawlessness and chaos of the early frontier towns of the American west. This “Me, Now” attitude stands in stark contrast to the words scripture uses to describe God’s faithful: “He did what was right in the sight of the Lord.” (2 Kings 14:3). “Right in our own eyes” versus “right in the sight of the Lord.” Two roadmaps leading to two very different destinations. “We live in God’s world.” That is where the Journey of faith begins. And God has placed signposts along the road, to point us in the right direction. One of these signposts reads: 1st) Love calls us to live generous lives. In our reading the apostle Paul lifts up the church in Macedonia as example of faithfulness. It’s the poor, he claims who step up to the plate (and that’s about as unexpected as last night’s Stanford’s win over #2 ranked USC!!!) Think about it: If anyone has more reason not to be generous, it’s the poor. And yet despite extreme poverty the Macedonian Christians give to the church in Jerusalem and they do it joyfully! You can almost hear they say, “We don’t have much but what we do have, you’re free to use.” It we don’t give joyfully, we’re probably giving for the wrong reason! Love calls us to live generous lives. A second signpost reads: 2ndly) We answer to a higher authority. In the October 1st edition of Time Magazine, a Patriot fan, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations discusses the problem of cheating in sports, following the “fall from grace” of New England’s head coach. I want to you read you from his article: “The dirty little secret about sports fans is that they are basically amoral…. “Fans really don’t care how their teams win. They aren’t moral universalists; they don’t care about being fair to the other guys. In the abstract fans oppose cheating. They may even oppose cheating by their own team, since the team could get caught, thus eliciting penalties that far outweigh any potential gain. But fearing the consequences of cheating is a far cry from opposing it because it’s wrong. A generalization? Perhaps. But as my former roommate who played college b-ball told me, “It’s part of the game, the point is not to get caught!” It’s sounds trite and a little cliquish but we answer to a higher authority. Vs. 5, they gave themselves first to the Lord… 1st things 1st. If God is our priority, then it will affect the “how” of our going; how we manage our time, energy and resources. Verse 3: 3For, as I can testify, they voluntarily gave according to their means, and even beyond their means, I’ve heard of people living beyond their means. In fact, I’ve done that. But what is “giving beyond our means?” The only way I know to give beyond my means is to make a sacrifice. When I think about a retired member tithing on her Social Security income, or a family putting off replacing their car a couple years so they can up their pledge, then I know what real sacrifice looks like. Why do this? Because we live in God’s world! And it’s a privilege to get involved in what God is doing in the world! Love calls us to live generous lives. We answer to a higher authority. Two Signposts on the Roadmap to a Rich Life. Reader's Digest tells the story of Ray Hamley, a pilot in Britain's Royal Air Force, who flew an American-built B-25 on bombing raids just inside Germany's border with Holland during World War II. After the war, he went home to England, married his childhood sweetheart, and became an elementary school principal. In 1983, Ray Hamley read a newspaper article about how the people of a little German town named Kleve were rebuilding the Church of St. Mary that had been bombed during the war. Something clicked in Ray's memory. He found his old logbook in the attic, and realized that it had been his bombs that had destroyed the church back in 1944. "Come on, Ray,” he said to himself, “Let it go. After all, the Nazis bombed innocent children in London and Warsaw; it was wartime; forget it, Ray, and get on with your life; it's not your concern." But he couldn’t let it go. He knew what he had to do. So he finally wrote to the Mayor of Kleve, asking for the forgiveness of the townspeople, and requesting that his letter be read by the priest at the dedication of the new church building. Ray got a reply from the people of Kleve, requesting that he and his family come and see the new church building. Ray couldn’t bring himself to answer their letter. A 2nd letter came, this one signed by over 500 members of the church parish offering their forgiveness in the name of Jesus Christ and begging him to come . . . Ray Hamley went to Kleve. His visit not only healed old wounds in his life, but has brought about an incredible reconciliation between Ray's hometown in England and the people of Kleve in Germany. I know what you’re thinking. He didn’t have to do this…and you’d be right, except that “We live in God’s world,” and that means we answer to a higher authority. Love calls us live generous lives. And it is a privilege to be involved in what God is doing in the world. As we approach the altar to take communion, joining millions on this World Communion Sunday who are sharing in this same act, we remember Jesus has given himself to us so that we might give ourselves to others. Let us pray: God, we love you. We praise you. All that we have comes from you. We rejoice in your presence. Amen. |
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